Recording
From SDA Knowledge Base
Contents
Console Recording
At a really high level, recording a speedrun for SDA means that you will try and get the best possible quality video footage from your console to your TV and to a recording device of some kind at the same time. This can be a little bit complicated, but we'll try and walk you through it step by step. You're going to need your game console, a television, some kind of recording device, and if you're capturing your run to your computer some kind of capture software. Before you jump into the fray, it would help to understand a little bit about audio and video signals and cables. Go hereto get acquainted with some of the stuff that you'll be working with. Once you're a bit familiar with the basics read on below and we'll cover each of the things that you'll need to record a speedrun in more detail.
We should mention here, once you've gone through the instructions on this page and collected your equipment, don't start trying to record your speedrun attempts just yet. You will need to capture some footage as a test. You will then processthe footage and post a quality test of your finished product in the Tech Support forum. We want to make sure that there isn't anything wrong with your setup/settings before you attempt to record a full speedrun. We would hate to have to reject a speedrun over A/V quality issues.
Equipment
Game Console
Which console your game is on will determine the type of equipment you will be using
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Television
Yes, the TV you use can make a difference in your speedrun. We're going to lump TVs into two categories
| CRT TVs | These older televisions are ideal for speedrunning, but they have their limitations |
| LCD TVs | Newer televisions are widely available and they support the latest video formats, but they pose some challenges |
Recording Devices
| Video Capture Devices | Currently the most popular recording choice |
| DVD Recorder | An acceptable alternative to capture devices |
| VCR Recording | Strongly discouraged, but still accepted |
Splitter
No matter what your setup is, you need to find some way of getting your A/V footage to your recording device and to your television at the same time. Check out the full guide to the methods of doing this here.
| Powered Splitters | If you can afford it, this is the way to go. |
| Cable Methods | Less expensive, but the quality of the capture may suffer. Also they only support composite video |
| Capture Card Method | Some Capture cards support a passthrough feature |
Recording Software
If you are using a video capture device you'll need to use some type of recording software.
| VirtualDub | A free, powerful, and commonly used capture program |
| Amarectv | A free tool and simple tool, Amarectv is popular because it can let you record your runs and stream live simultaneously |
| Dscaler | A slightly less popular, but powerful capture software |
PC Recording
Start here.Capturing a PC game is both easier and harder than capturing a console game. You won't be worrying about splitters or messing with cables. You will be playing the game and attempting to record your screen at the same time which can pose some unique challenges.
We should mention here, once you've gone through the instructions on this page, don't start trying to record your speedrun attempts just yet. You will need to capture some footage as a test. You will then processthe footage and post a quality testof your finished product in the Tech Support forum. We want to make sure that there isn't anything wrong with your setup/settings before you attempt to record a full speedrun. We would hate to have to reject a speedrun over A/V quality issues.
